To the Faithful of Saint Nicholas Eparchy
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we open Sacred Scripture, we discover that already at the very beginning of the Book of Genesis there is a reference to blessing, by which the Creator blesses not only the creatures of the sea and the birds of the air, but also the first human beings—Adam and Eve—entrusting to them both the gift and the responsibility “to have dominion over creation” (Gen. 1:28). Elsewhere, the Lord calls Abraham to set out for the Promised Land, promising to bless him, to make his name great, and through him to bless all nations: “I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing” (Gen. 12:2).
A blessing is a sign of God’s gracious favor, His divine “yes” toward what He has created. When God blesses Abraham, it signifies that He remains with him. From the very beginning of the dialogue between God and humanity, blessing is revealed not as a random good, but as a living and dynamic cooperation between God and the human person, created in His image and likeness.
In the Hebrew language, the words “blessing” and “to bless” are expressed by the term berakhah (ברכה). Another related word, barakh (בָּרַךְ), also means “to bless” and, in its broader sense, is associated with light, radiance, and the divine presence. A further Hebrew expression, ashrei (אַשְׁרֵי), conveys blessing as true happiness—“happy is the one for whom it is good to be with God.” Such blessing flows from the awareness that the Lord Himself is actively guiding His people along the path of truth and life.
Blessing includes several essential elements. First and foremost, it is always God’s initiative, for God alone is the source of all goodness. He blesses the human person by bestowing His love and light. In response, the human person freely answers God’s gift, and within this exchange the encounter between Creator and creature takes place—through prayer, praise, and humble obedience to His word. The fruit of this cooperation in blessing is peace, joy, and both spiritual and even physical well-being.
In our daily lives, we constantly stand in need of God’s blessing, which we receive from the Lord. Yet Sacred Scripture also shows us that blessing is not spoken by God alone. In the Old Testament, faithful men and women, living in reverence and awareness of God’s presence, also pronounce blessings. When Rebekah leaves her family to become the wife of Isaac, she receives a blessing from her relatives: “They blessed Rebekah and said to her: ‘May you become thousands of myriads, and may your descendants possess the gates of their enemies’” (Gen. 24:60). Likewise, before his death, Isaac blesses his son Jacob with words filled with promise and hope (cf. Gen. 27:28–29).
In the New Testament, we encounter two principal terms translated as “blessing.” The first is makarios (μακάριος), which echoes the Old Testament ashrei and expresses true happiness or blessedness (cf. the Beatitudes in Mt. 5 and Lk. 6). Blessed, in this sense, is the person who finds the purpose and fullness of life in God, whose sins are forgiven, and whose relationship with the Creator has been restored (cf. Rom. 4:6–8). The second term, eulogeo, emphasizes the good word spoken over a person or object, whether in praise, thanksgiving, or invocation of God’s grace (cf. 1 Pet. 3:9; Eph. 1:3; Mt. 26:26).
Above all, in the New Testament Jesus Christ Himself stands at the center of every blessing. He not only blesses His disciples; He is the Blessing—God’s Love made flesh. As the Apostle Paul proclaims: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3).
All of us draw strength from the blessings we receive through the Holy Mysteries and other sacred rites of the Church. In our parish communities, these blessings are entrusted in a particular way to our priests. Through the Mystery of Holy Orders, they are granted the grace to celebrate the Holy Mysteries and to carry out sacred services for the good of God’s people. Through the hands of the priest, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom we receive for the forgiveness of sins and for eternal life.
Every priest serves in persona Christi and, in the exercise of his ministry, is called to be alter Christus, another Christ. In this way, he becomes a living sign of the presence of Jesus Christ and a visible instrument of His grace, shared generously with others. For this reason, the blessing imparted by a priest is a precious gift that strengthens and nourishes the faithful. When a priest blesses, he communicates the love of Christ—a love that consoles, sustains, and gives hope.
Jesus Christ revealed the fullness of His love upon the Cross; therefore, the priest blesses with the sign of the Cross. To receive this blessing personally, the faithful customarily cross their hands (the right over the left, palms facing upward) and humbly ask, “Bless me, Father.” The priest responds, “May God bless you,” and traces the sign of the Cross. In receiving this blessing, the believer places himself or herself under the sign of salvation and renews trust in God’s loving care. Such a gift is to be received with reverence and gratitude.
I therefore encourage you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, to seek the blessing of your pastors with faith and confidence. At the same time, I invite you to bless the Lord in prayer and to bless one another within your families, especially your children and your parents.
May the blessing of the Lord be upon you, through His grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Benedict
Bishop of Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy